Loop drier



Oct. 13, 1925.

F. KERSHAW ET AL I LOOP Damn Filed Sept. 17. 1924 2 Sheets- Sheet l oct. 13, 1925.

F. KERSHAW El' AL LooP DR'IER 2 sheets-sheer 2 Filed Sept.' 17. 111324 nected: together Patented Get. 13, 1925.

UNITED STATE s PiajiE-NT oFFifcEf.

FREDERICK Kn'ItsHAw' Nn ALPIIEUS oi HunjI-ilig or' PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYL- VANIA, AssIGNoRs ToPaocTon-'a scI-Iwirit'rz';"rNcQnPonnrnn,

PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION oPPEN-NsirtvANI-Af or PHILADELPHIA,

LooP DRIERZ Applicatibn-iea september `17,'1924: seri-ai No.` 738,167.

Tri-@ZZ who/mtmay/ concern.'

Be it-known'that we, FREDERICK KnRsIIAw and ALPIIEUs O. HUizX'rPIAL, citizens of the United States, residing Pennsylvania, have invented certain tlmprovements in Loop. Driers, of which the following is1 a specification. y

rEhe object of our invention is to construct the 'mechanism of a loop.` drier so thatr the girts, or transverse supports, for the looped material can be separated lat the feed end otth'edrierto allow the material sufficient4- space to form a` loop after which the material' is pushed close together to increase the capacity of a drier of given dimensions.

This object we attain in the following manner, referencey being-.had to the accompanying drawings, in which: l

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectionalV View of a drier illustratingv our invention;

Figa-.2 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating the carrying chain at the feed end of the drier; V f

is a plan view of the chain shown in Fig,.21; i

H Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view showing two chains and the connectingjgirts;

Fig. 5 is a perspective viewV ofapair offans 2 `for circulating heated air in the dryingchamber 3. Any suitable heating means b may be employedZ andthe fans may be locatedV in anyvposition, depending upon the size and general designof the drier.

`Within the drying chamber?) are two longitudinal: tracks 4 forY supportingthe carryingchains Each chain isgmade of a. series olpairsioilinks f6. and7 ,and are madeas shown in Figs. 2 and The links -are con- ,by `pins. 8, on which are wheels 9. y These wheelstravely ontlietracks 44 'and also` on 'fc'edsendof the machine, Fig. 2.

Mounted on the driven shaft' 11 are two sprocket wheels 12. These wheels are at the feed end ofthe drierandf are directly in advance of the tracksy 10. Above the tracks 10 and 4 are, rails 13,` which have depressed portions 14I that Aextend over a portion of each sprocketwheel 12, holding the links of in Philadelphia,

are circulating.

shorttracks 10, 10 at theV thegchain,V extended and. in alignment on the tracks 1() as the sprocket wheels 12 push the' chains through the drier.

On each, li k, about midway jof its length, isa sockeblfor a transverse support, or girt, A16. These girts` extend from one side of -thedrying.chamber to the other and support the'material which is looped .over them, as shown in Fig, 1.` On each link Zisa projection 17. ing projection 18.

. Between lthe kinner y,end ofthe' depressed portionj14Hottlie-holding down rails 13. andv the eedend ofi the track y4 isaispaceA a: to allow thechain to buckle and to Vtakethe compactedform'shown in Fig;` 1. Thefeed at 19,'.

end oir` each track 4jis rounded, as Fig.f Thi s rounded portion is. Vin the path o'ttheprojections 17` of the links Tot the chain so that,` when the chainsf are pushed forward,'the pro]ections 17 strikethe ,portions 1Q of the tracks 4 and, asthe holding down rails Yare elevated'at this: point,the `two links Gand 7 arep'ushed upI into thepositiony shown. at the right of Fig. QF-the two projectilons 17 and 18 of thelinks Acoin'ingin Contact withV each'other,"holding therlinkys,

inposit-on and distance apart.v

The 'portion 18 isillocaft'edv a su'iicient distance above each track`4 softhat the rollersl of4 the raised porthe transverse girts a given tions ,otr the cha-ins travel on the rails and hold the buckled portions of the chains in.

position on the vtracks 4 as they are pushed through the machine.

1Attlie delivery end of the machine, the holding, down. rails 13 are. again depressed,

as at 2.0"1,m,advance of wheels'. 21.` A space at each lsidey allows the chains -tol assume an extended position again, as shown inFig. 1,`asthe chansare drawn outby Vthe drivensprocket wheels 21.`

The sprocketwheels 21 aremounted on a shaftf22. The shaft22 is driven yata speed to` elongate the chains as they. reach thedelivery end ofthe machine. After the chains pass aroundl the .sprocket wheels 21, `they .passundergiiide' `wheels 23 and 24 at the.

bottom of the drier and around a .guide wheel-`25jto the sprocket wheelsy at the feed` end A.ofl the machine.

The inaterialfis Ied. into the driery over a drum 26, which is driven as shown in Fig.

Oneach link 6 isa correspond 20' of the holding 'down rail] thel driven sprockety l, then down between two rods carried by Vthe extended portions of the chains, and is are elongated again and the material is removed, passing around a guide roller 27 and drum 28. The two drums are driven in unison by any suitable mechanism.

In the drawings, is shown a longitudinal driving shaft 29, having worms 30, which mesh with worm wheels on the shaft of the drums 26 and 28. The two shafts ll and 22, on which are the sprocket wheels for the chains, are driven from t-he drum shafts.

In some instances, the chains El may be elongated only at the feed end for the free passage of material. The material is re-- moved from the girts while the links are in the buckled condition, as shown in the modi-- iication, F ig. 7. The chains, in this instance, are elongated as they pass around the sprocket wheels 21a.

In F ig. 6 is shown a. means for varying the Idistance between the girts attached to the projections 172l and 18a of the links 7a and 6a, respectively. The spacers 3l may be of any thickness desired and are secured y to the links in any suitable manner.

We claim:

l. rl`he combination in a loop drying machine, of two tracks spaced apart; an end less chain arranged to travel over each track; girts connecting the chains; a driven sprocket wheel arranged to push the chains over t-he tracks; means for holding the chains in an elongated position with the girts spaced a considerable distance apart; and means allowing the chains to be buckled so that the girts will be arranged close t0- gether.

2.' The combination in a loop drying Inachine, of a casing enclosing a drying chamber; tracks extending through the drying chamber; sprocket wheels at each end of the tracks; chains consisting of a. series of links; girts extending from one chain to the other; anda guard rail over each track, each rail having a depressed portion at the feed end of t-he machine to hold the links of the chain in an"1 elongated position with the girts spaced a considerable distance apart to allow material to be hung upon the girts.

- 3l' The combination in a looping machine, of a casing enclosing a drying chamber; tracks at each side of the chamber; driven sprocket wheels at the feed end of the machine; a carrier consisting of two chains spaced apart and arranged to travel on the tracks; girts extending from one chain to the otlier,.each chain consisting of a series oflinks; means for holding the chains in a flat, extended position at the feed end of the machine to allow material to be looped upon the girts; chains to buckle so that arranged close together;

means for allowing the girts will be a projection the and on each link acting to space the links when the chains are buckled.

4. The combination in a loop drying niachine, of two tracks spaced apart; a chain arranged to travel on each being composed pins connecting track, each chain of a series of links; pivot the links; rollers on the pivot pins, one series of links having projections extending in one direction, the alternating links having projections extending in the opposite direction ing from one chain to an girts extendother; means for elongating the chains to space the girts a considerable distance apar allowing vthe chains to be the projections of one series of links in cont; and means for buckled to bring tact` with those of the other series of links.

track a loop drying maal tracks spaced spaced from the feed end of each longitudinal track;

sprocket wheels beyond t of track; a rail above each he short sections longitudinal track, said rails havingdepressed portions above the short sections composed of a series of links,

travel upon each track; the chains, the depressed rails holding the chains of track; chains, arranged to girts connecting portions of the in the extended position while the chains are traveling over the short sections tions of the rails of track, the raised porallowing the chains to buckle as they commence to travel upon the longitudinal tracks; spacing the girts apart.

and means for 6. The combination in a loop drying machine, of two longitudin apart; a short section of t al tracks spaced rack spaced from the feed end of each longitudinal track and aligning with said tracks; a

driven shaft at the feed end of the machine; sprocket -wheels on the shaft in line with the tracks; driven sprocket wheels at the discharge end of thev machine, also tracks; a chain arranged tracks at each side of the in line with the to travel on the drier, transverse girts connecting the chains, each chain consisting of a series of links having projections, the lprojections on one set of links extending in one direction and the projections on the other set of links opposite direction and abu other set of links when extending in the tting those of the the chains 4are buckled, rails mounted above the tracks, saidrails having depressed portions above the short sections of track to hold the chains in an elongated posi-tion, the rails above the longitudinal tracks being the chains to be buckled raised to allow and means for feeding material onto the girts when the chains are in an elongated position.

7. The combination in a loop drying machine, of two tracks spaced apart; a chain arranged to travel on each track, each chain consisting of a series of links; girts extending from the links of one chain to the links of the other chain; means for pushing the chains over the tracks; means for retaining the chains in a Hat position at the feed end of the machine; means for feeding material onto the girts while the chains are in a flat position; and means for allowing the chains to buckle, when the material is on the girts7 to bring the girts close together.

8. The combination in a loop drying machine, of a drying chamber; longitudinal tracks at each side of the drying chamber; a carrier consisting of two chains connected by a series of girts, said carrier being arranged to travel on the tracks; means for increasing the distance apart of the girts of the carrier to allow material to be looped onto the girts; means for allowing the chains to be buckled as they travel through the drying chamber; and means for extending the carrier as it passes from the discharge end of the machine and returns to the feed end.

FREDERICK KERSHAW. ALPHEUSl O. HURXTHAL. 

